Novak Djokovic takes on fifth seed David Ferrer for a place in the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Djokovic has always found Ferrer a difficult opponent. He leads the head-to-head 6-5 but they've had plenty of tough battles over the years and at November's ATP World Tour Finals, Ferrer showed what he's capable of when Djokovic isn't at his best, winning 6-3, 6-1.
"David Ferrer and every player, especially the ones from the top, are great competitors and I have lots of respect towards them," Djokovic told the press. "I think sometimes they're underrated, you know. Especially Ferrer, who has been so consistent, he's been a top-five player for a long time."
Ferrer may be second favourite with the bookies going into this one but he'll be sensing a glimmer of an opportunity as Djokovic looked a little vulnerable for the first time against Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round.
Djokovic totally lost his concentration in the third set of that match and suddenly Hewitt's tactic of slicing wide to the Djokovic forehand was working brilliantly. It's a part of Djokovic's game which has improved tremendously over the past eighteen months but if anything's going to break down, it's that forehand and Ferrer has the quality to exploit that.
The Spaniard was in superb form himself in the last sixteen, easing past the dangerous Richard Gasquet in straight sets.
Prediction: Djokovic to be tested but to rise to the occasion and pull through in four.
